Tea Villa, Mumbai

Tea Villa, Thane

Another place I keep coming back to. I think I have been doing that a lot lately and and happily so. Well, this time was actually because there aren't too many options that you can explore in Thane and I was looking forward to have a good meal. Hence, wanted to skip the entire location scout. I am never disappointed with this place and it's one of my safe bets.

This outlet actually has an outer area as well and if it was Winter, then it would make for great ambiance, with the winds blowing and all. However, summers in Bombay are nothing short of hell and hence, I chose to be safely seated indoors. The ambiance is a mix of quirky and raw as is the case with all their outlets, tea cups hanging from the roof and little lights hanging from colorful tea kettles (the kind you would find at cutting chai stalls and not royal english inspired. I prefer the former in this setting). The walls are left unfinished with bricks which gives it the raw appeal.

The service here is actually slightly better than my experience at their outlets though. I have always found their service in need of improvement as they seem a little absent and you have to grab their attention. Also, a little forgetful. Though I would say there is an improvement, but it's still not at par. This time the reason was we had asked for whipped cream with their waffles (To be honest, we hadn't even been asked. It was along the lines of would you want whipped cream or ice cream with your waffle, like a choice is being provided to you and when you say whipped cream. They tell you there is an extra charge. It's a sales tactic and hence, I still didn't mind it much). However, they had forgotten to serve it. We pointed it out half way through completing our waffles, "hadn't we ordered whipped cream on the side?". When asked the attendant about it, and since we were half way through we wanted to cancel it. However, the attendant requested us not to as apparently, it would be deducted from his pay. So we didn't. However, it troubled me. Not because I had to pay that extra amount. But if the management is making use of this approach to curb errors, then it's not exactly correct and something to be looked into (And I hope if you are reading this, you do!). This is the part where I found it to be a little questionable. Otherwise, all seemed in place.

For what we had. We first called for two mock tails - Passion Fruit Mojito and Peach Iced Tea. For a change, it was not me who had ordered the Iced tea but my friend. I went for the mojito. Some times change is good. Turned out, change is actually good because I thoroughly enjoyed it. Along with the drinks, we called in for the Villa Special Hummus Platter which comes with three kinds of hummus and assorted goodies like lavash, pita bread, cucumbers and a salad. I still can't differentiate between all the different kind of hummus out there, as in what ingredients go into except the basic ones, but I do know one thing, I LOVE HUMMUS! The one thing I would have preferred it is being served more accompaniments with this, also pickled veggies. We then called in for the goodness called the Shroom Burger. A patty made of nothing but mushroom, cheddar cheese infused and soft cheese. As soon as you take a bite, cheese comes oozing out and there is nothing better than that. I at very rare occasions choose to have a Veg Burger, and this was one of those rare times, when my decision to do so did not fail me. The bun could be improved upon though, didn;t have that traditional burger bun feel to it and seemed a bit oiled. The same I would say for the onion rings served on the side. I am generally not so fond of onion rings and would always prefer fries, and even though I actually took a liking to the onion rings here, it was only after using tissue to soak some of the oil. This was something that should have been taken care of in the kitchen. Finally, we ordered for the Oreo Waffle as dessert for ourselves. I chose Oreo as too much of chocolate is off-putting to me and I get tired after a few bites. Oreos, though are my favorite and I am always eager to have them - shakes, cheesecakes, cakes, deep fried (Yeah, deep fried! This one I can actually share the recipe of). So Oreo waffles seemed ideal to me and that's what we had. Happily so. The waffles were fresh, I loved the mix of white chocolate and milk chocolate drizzled on top and also served on the side (You really don't need to even order the whipped cream on the side, if you have this).

I was elated after this meal. You would be too, if you dropped in here. There are so many outlets across of this place around the city now, so you can choose your pick. 

WHAT WE HAD - Villa Special Hummus Platter (LOOOOVEEE)

                           Mushroom Burger (Yumness Personified)

                           Oreo Waffles (Yumness Personified)

                           Peach Iced Tea (Refreshing)

                           Passion Fruit Mojito (Refreshing)

DAMAGES - Rs 1200/- (Approx)

WHERE - Tea Villa Cafe Thane. ,Shop 1& 2, Y-Building, Flower Valley, Opposite Viviana Mall,Eastern Express Highway, Majiwada, Thane West

D Crepe's Cafe, Mumbai

D Crepe's Cafe, Thane.

This is one of my most visited places, and now even more because it's literally at a walking distance from my office. Only, most of the times, I order my usual which is why I don't feel the need for a blog update. Though there was something that had caught my eye and I had been meaning to have that and hence the update!

I still prefer the Meadows outlet, because this contains less space and is very tightly spun. The meadows outlet has a more bright vibe to it and spacious (even before the expansion, because I have been coming here since then). Even small spaces can be made to look bigger with the right arrangement. However, since I do love the food, I make do with it. One huge turn off however is the towels drying on the outside. Though no fault of D Crepes because this is actually courtesy the next door saloon I believe, but still a little shabby. Not really welcoming for the saloon either. There are racks and racks of towels. 

The main, which is the food here is par excellence. So this time I called in for the Bangers and Mash which is what I had been eyeing and we also ordered Garlic Bread topped with Tomato, Olive, Pesto and Cheese and also Mexican Paneer Pita with Potato wedges. This summed up our mains. The Bangers and Mash came with a cheesy-alfredo type base where as I was expecting the Onion gravy which is more common. It has mushrooms grated and a base of mashed potatoes with garlic bread and sausages (Divine) laid on top. Maybe this is a new take on Bangers and Mash but it definitely delighted me. I anyways have a soft corner for creamy alfredo sauce. And it had sausage! Aur kya chahiye life mein??!! The garlic bread is another divine story, overloaded with cheese and topped with olives, the thing that actually brings the flavor up a notch was the pesto sauce used at the base. The Mexican Paneer Pita, however was another story. Unfortunately, disappoints. We expected it to be bursting of mexican flavors, wrapped in a pita wrap. But all this was a thick pita bread some paneer and veggies mixed as a filling. Didn't look great, neither tasted great. It honestly was like some one had just tossed some veggies in the frypan added some haldi-mirch and put it in the bread. Not really what I was expecting. 

We also ordered a small dessert treat, the berry crumble crepe. Happiness Personified! I am a huge fan of their crepes and till now I had only had the savory ones, so I ordered the sweet ones because that's what crepes are supposed to be right? Sweet?! The crepes as soft and melt in the mouth always, what was beautiful about it was that the filling was made up of blue berry compote, some oreo, some cream cheese, and some toffee sauce. It was a cheese cake crepe! They should rename it cheese cake crepe! Because that is what it was! And I LOVE CHEESECAKES! So cheese cake crepe? DIVINE! We ordered two mocktails on the side - Blue Bay Driver and Kokum Mint Soda. I am not a huge fan of Kokum, but I loved mine and they looked pretty as well like summer colors! Will make you thirsty immediately.

D Crepes is one of those rare places, where the food is worth more than what you pay for because it's not steep priced, doesn't have too many taxes etc and the food is mind blowing except a miss or two! 

WHAT WE HAD - Bangers & Mash (Yumness Personified)

                           Garlic Bread with Tomatoes, Olives and Pesto (Divine)

                           Mexican Paneer Pita (AVOID)

                           Berry Crumble Crepe (DIVINE)

                           Blue Bay Driver (Refreshing)

                           Kokum Mint Soda (Thumbs up)

DAMAGES - 1200/- (Approx)

WHERE -  D'Crêpes Café., Shop 2, Avila Building, Near Godrej Nature's Basket, Hiranandani Estate, Thane West

D CREPES CAFE, MUMBAI

D Crepes Cafe, Thane

I had discovered this little gem of a place more than 2 years back. It features in one of those places that I can't help but keep coming back to. Food that is truly delightful and the reasonably priced is a rarity in this city. I generally don't mind as Food is my guilty pleasure and is not about to change any time soon, but, it's always nice dropping by places like these that are the very meaning of value for money!

They have a new branch opened up at Hiranandani Estate I believe, though, I always end up at Meadows. Infact I think I could be the unoffical ambassador of this place with the way I have promoted and made sure people from my friends and family pay visit to this place. They always come back with rave reviews! 

The service here is something that has been well maintained over the years, recommending dishes to your liking. They know their menu, something that I actually find in a lot of places that the attending staff may lack knowledge of the items on their menu. It always adds a nice touch when the person serving understands your taste palette and can recommend what would best suit you, making it a good expeience on both sides and strategically avoiding bad reviews!

It is obligatory to order a crepe when you step in here. After  all, the place is names "D'Crepes". So we began with a generous serving of the Barbeque crepe. I should also mention here that the serving size of the crepe has increased or so I felt. Previously the filling inside the crepes wasn't as generous as it was this time. Where most other places you will find it decreasing, here it is the opposite. Kudos.  Chicken and veggies mixed well with BBQ sauce stuffed in the crepe is the stuff of your dreams and it can get down and dirty, so forget your table manners at home to enjoy it the way it should be! Next on the item was some Pasta. The pasta range is under Do It Your Way with giving you selections on how you want it to be prepared. We went for Fusilli Pasta in Portugese sauce as recommended by our attendant. This is supposed to be a very spicy sauce and we had asked him to turn down the spiciness a little and we are glad we did that. Even after the spiciness being reduced, it still ended up being spicy, so eat if your heart, stomach, ears and nose are prepared for. (You know running noses, heart bun, smoke from your ears ) The sauce is a tangy sauce and takes a little after the Arabiatta, though not an arabiatta sauce. I would order it again. However, the one thing that I would want to change about it is the serving bowl. Previously, the pastas were surved in a wooden bowl which has been changed to plates. I always felt it gave a unique touch to the plating with the wooden bowls. We had also ordered some garlic bread on the side and let me just say this is one of the best cheese garlic breads I have ever had the honour to have. Cheesy, soft breads, retaining the garlic flavors. Life couldn't get better. 

I am going to take a paragraph break here. I am a very lazy writer but once I start typing, I think I over write. But it's food!  For drinks I had called for the Iced tea, because nothing like it and truly, over here, I can most definitely say - NOTHING LIKE IT! I order iced teas because it is the safest bet on the menu and I don't spot a lot of creativity in this section in most places. However, the iced ea here is one of the best I have had. Refreshing, tangy, sweet and the perfect balance of flavors. I could order one more. My friend had ordered the Red Velvet Shake and even though I was a little wary of this, because most places screw up the red velvet shake and it feels more of a chocolate shake itself (Arey bhaiyya chocolate shake order kana hota toh chocolate shake order karte na - is something that some people don't get!). Here? You can feel the red velvet taste in every sip you take and I was just in another kind of heaven. A must if you enjoy red velvet as much as I do. The only disappointment - we had ordered for chocolate cheese cake to end our order and this is the first time that I have been let down. The cheese was too heavy, dry and wasn't even exactly sweet. Something I hope they look into. Their dessert range has never disappointed me before so I was a little surprised. 

Go for D Crepes! Go for D' Crepes and in case you still haven't gotten the message - Go for D'Crepes! or well, live to regret. Perfect place for meeting a friend, or for your work from home or rather cafe days and even for a date where you want to impress the said date! 

What We Had - Barbecue Crepe (Yumness Personified)

                         Pasta in Portugaise Sauce (Yumness)

                         Cheese Garlic Bread (More is Less)

                         Iced Tea (Very very refreshing!)

                         Red Velvet Shake (Fantabulous, yumness personified)

                         Chocolate Cheese cake (Let Down)

Damages - Rs 1100/- (Approx)

Where - D'Crêpes Café., Shop 2, Avila Building, Near Godrej Nature's Basket, Hiranandani Estate, Thane West

Twistie's wraps, Mumbai

TWISTIE'S WRAPS, Thane

Some places literally just take your breath away. Well, not the place per se but the food. This is one of those rare places, probably so because the prices are very very nominal. I had been meaning to head here for a while, since I work in close vicnity, but never got around to it. The sad part? I finally headed here but just about when I was quitting my job. (I am on a staycation at the moment and loving every bit of it! What's a staycation? Stay at Home Vacation!) My biggest regret? I wish I had come here sooner. I say so because, in less than 10 days, I have been here twice. Now, that is as rare as it gets. Being a reviewer-of-sorts, and at the same time wanting to go back to places becomes quite a task. Should I go back to a particular place? or try out a new place and the never ending list that I have. 

The place is very small with a seating capacity of around 12 people at a time, which is quite less, and I hope they expand in the near future. I think it could become the next hang-out place for large group of college kids who are always short on money, yet looking out for lip-smacking yumminess. (Been There! Done That! :P) What creates a warmth in your hearts for this place is the owner, who needs a special mention who takes extra care to ask each customer if there is any comments, reviews they would like to give. Even though this has become quite common today, you either improvise or you shut shop. There are very few places that you see taking this up seriously. It could be because this is yet a small joint, but I hope it doesn't lose this touch in the future when I hope they will be having several outlets around Mumbai (Target Kurla or Lower Parel next? So that I can pay visit. :P) 

I had initially thought that I would pay visit to the place once more to try out a full range of the items served, so that I have better perspective. However, I just couldn't resist. The first time I had been here was o with my colleague cum friend for an in-between meal after office but before dinner kind of thing. Hence, we ordered just 1 wrap and a Pasta. Now, I wish I had ordered more. The second time was a repeat order for the Pasta, but to-go for my younger sibling because I had been raving about it to her, and well it comes at a nominal price, so she wanted to try it out. The wrap we had ordered the first time was the Teriyaki Chicken Wrap. I am not a huge fan of wraps, nor of frankies, and other rolls, except for the legendary Shawarma (Why do second best when you can have a Shawarma!) but here, I have got to say, I really, enjoyed the wrap, it was not over-loaded with sauces as is generally found in most places in this city, even Shawarma has an Indian touch at most places and I like my roll/wrap to be a little dry where in you can actually brings out the flavors of the rest of the ingredients in the wrap, otherwise wouldn't I just have a sauce laden bread?!!. I have got to say, these guys nailed it! Maybe this was because we had ordered the Teriyaki, which is pan-fried, japanese style but then all the more reason to applaud them for keeping the authenticity intact. Now, lets talk about the Pasta. I love Pasta, I have had pasta from so many different places in so many flavors, but my top favorite remains from the middle-east, my home-land, Vanelli's Pasta. (*sigh* How I miss you!), close second comes from Red Box in Mumbai, and the other very close second, an almost tie would be the Chicken Alfredo from Twistie's. I had forgotten that Alfredo was my favorite sauce which was never really done right in this city that I have grown to love. I had quite literally forgotten that, till this place reminded me of how I could probably write love duets on Alfredo Sauce, you can give me the entire bucket of this sauce minus the pasta and other vegetables, and I would consider life fulfilled. All, I could think of was Thank you, thank you for rekindling the love that I felt towards Alfredo. Thank you for making it the way it is supposed to be and not almost Alfredo, some thing seems to be missing kind. 

My sister, who is even more choosier in the food category, and still says that nothing is as good as the places back home, also was floored by the Pasta. My cousin, who loves the traditional chicken curry and pulav and does not understand the craze behind burgers and pizzas, couldn't have enough of it either. You won't too. So drop in to Thane, you must, for their amazing range of wraps, pastas and more, else, you will regret the day you actually do! Listen to your growling stomachs already! :D :D

WHAT WE HAD - Teriyaki Chicken Wrap (Perfection)

                           Alfredo Chicken Pasta (Beyond Perfection)

DAMAGES - Rs 200/- (Approx) (Do you need more reason??!!)

WHERE - Twistie's Wraps 2, Gagangiri, Panch Pakhadi, Thane (w), MUMBAI

The Flying Butler, Mumbai

THE FLYING BUTLER

I have had many vegetarian thalis, and very delicious ones at that and my favorite till date is the Bombay Thali from Vrindavan from Bahrain. I think I have literally grown up in that place, every Thursday night, after grocery shopping, this is the place we would head to. I would hardly have been 7 or so then and now I am almost 25, and there is still no Thali as good as that one. Well, I am not here to right about Vrindavan though, but if you happen to be visiting Bahrain, do not miss this place. 

I had always wondered that why don't people serve Non-veg Thalis. There are so many varieties when it comes to Vegetarian ones - Gujarati, Rajasthani, Punjabi, Bambaiyya, South Indian and so many others. Yet, I have not come across a place which served Non-veg Thalis and I don't mean from your local roadside restaurant. Then one day, it was actually in Bombay Times that I found a small feature on the Flying Butler, I then did not know it served Non-veg Thalis, and it was the name that intrigued me and at first I thought it would be one of the many quirky restaurants that are slowly catching on. Then, I saw they actually do a wide range of Thalis and in Non-Veg too!! What next but to Zomato it and there it was there were so many varieties from Malwani to Goan to Hyderabadi to Mughlai and all I could do was drool reading about the content of them all. Well, what do you know, I just had to visit this place and the cherry on top was it is situated in Viviana Mall, Thane. Makes me wonder, how I never actually spotted it. 

It was on a movie night that I landed-up here and as it always is this was not my original destination on the particular night but being a weekend, and every where else being house-full, a minimum wait of 45 minutes and a movie to be seen, I had to find an alternative and then I remembered this place is also right here in Viviana and after a little bit of search arrived here. They had a waiting too but only of 15 minutes and that much could do. So we patiently waited to be called in. Even though the waiting period was short as such, the one thing that annoyed me a little, was that even though we had come in first, they let a group of four go in first as there was a table of 4 that had first become available and even though it seems justified, it irked me, if I was there first, they should have arranged for a table for us first. In fact, it was after 2 groups that we were asked to come in. I think that is something they should work upon. No one likes to wait but if some one can break the line and go in before you do, its nothing short of a crime. 

Even though, I can make sense as to why they named the place the flying butler, when you have a look inside and see the decor of the place, I don't really know the connection with the menu. I mean can you imagine a Rajdhani playing Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift? Some thing just does not connect right? So even though it makes for interesting decor, I did not understand as to why the place has been designed like the interiors of an air craft and the little windows made up giving glaces of different cities across the globe. Then they serve you Traditional Indian Thalis. Some thing just doesn't match up. Another thing is how crammed up it really is inside. The one thing that generally puts me off is how closely done the seating arrangements are, and here they were so close, that you would feel like you are sitting in a crowded food court on a weekend at Peak Hour, where you are forced to share a table with 4 other groups because its public space and you can't do anything about it. But then I did not want that and that is exactly why I chose to sit in the comforts of a restaurant and not the food court. 

Forgetting all else, I told myself, concentrate on the food because searching for places to eat and then all-the-waiting around had made me a little bit hungry. Little bit because even though I had a heavy lunch and more than that I tend to eat a light dinner. Light does not mean fewer calories, it translates to an omelette-pav, sandwiches, kabab-pav, momos, road-side chinese etc. The quantity might be on the lower side than a full dinner, but the calories I guess on the higher end. My only rule is to not eat after 8.30. Atleast, on most days. So at ten in the night, a thali can be quite heavy. But I could hear the little rats moving around my stomach and so I was determined, I am going to have one whole Thali, even though my friend did suggest that we could share one and order some thing else as well on the side. Instead, we ordered one french fries to start with and then Two Thalis. We ordered for a Tandoori Chicken Thali and a Hyderabadi Prawns Thali. One more thing that most people don't know is that I actually like Mutton, Prawns more in comparison to chicken unless and until its like chicken chilly or Tandoori Chicken, Chicken Lollipop and the likes. Does it make sense? Even if it doesn't who cares :P . The Tandoori Chicken Thali consisted of one whole Tandoori Leg, one boiled and lightly fried egg (I love eggs!), Mughlai style Chicken Gravy, Green Chutney, Butter Milk, Tandoori Paratha and Mughlai Biryani. Everything on the Plate actually tasted good except for r the Biryani, I think some a light Matar Pulav to go with the gravy would have been a better option. I am a Mughal, you see and we love our Biryanis and if you can't make it quite like that, then Matar Pulav is easy to make, you can-not go wrong with it and most of is Yum! The Hyderabdi Prawns Thali had a Hyderabadi style prawns gravy and Prawns Sukha, I liked the Prawns Sukha more in comparison to the gravy. I am craving some now infact.The rest was almost the same - roasted papad, fried egg, Hyderabadi Style Biryani and Raita. Well, the Thali though was heavy and extensive, some part of me felt, that the taste had some thing lacking. My opinion honestly is that we should have ordered either just one thali or even if we did order two, it should have been some thing different, because Mughal & Hyderabdi come from the same roots. I should have ordered, Malvani or Goan. Next time. Also, I will remember, next time to not order any starters before a thali. Else, I will not be able to finish a thali and also I would prefer going here on an empty stomach, on a really empty and I could eat a dinosaur kind of hunger. 

If I had to rate this place over-all, I would give it a 3 on 5. This place is one of those rare places that made it difficult for me to judge because I did not not like it, but then I didn't completely like it either. Its a place, which I wouldn't visit again and again, but I would remember it and want to re-visit at some point. Also, a place where you should know where their specialty lies when it comes to all the different thali they have on their extensive menu card. 

WHAT WE HAD - French Fries (Regular)

                           Tandoori Chicken Thali (Yum!)

                           Hyderabadi Prawns Thali (Not a Big Fan)

DAMAGES - Rs 1300/- (Approx, we were 2)

WHERE - The Flying Butler, Shop 76/77/78/78 A, Ground Floor, Viviana Mall, Majiwada, Thane West, MUMBAI

GUILT TRIP, MUMBAI

Desserts, there is no wrong time to have it and a meal does not feel complete without it. But then it is not necessary to end a meal with it,, you can have it before the meal or at any point of the day for that matter.

This Guilt Trip was due to the guilt trip my sister put me on. I had promised to get her cupcakes from another outlet for a few days since she was craving them and I kept putting it off saying I will be going tomorrow, then the next day a repeat of the I will be going tomorrow and as we know Tomorrow never comes. So one fine evening, when she messaged me after office hours if I will be getting them today and I said the same thing she put the sentimental in me with a little threat, she is not going to help me in any which way next time I ask for any help or if I want her to do some chore of mine and I realized If I don't today I will be going home to meet the devil. The only cup-cake place that I know in Thane is Guilt Trip, only because I had heard so much of it but since it didn't fall anywhere near where I work, I was too lazy to check it out. So with the motivation of getting my sister her damn cup-cakes and to finally check this place out, I rushed here after office.

The place sure puts you on a guilty trip, an eye soothing one at that and also it does not stop you from wanting it ALL. Since I was here to buy cupcakes, I stuck to those. I had promised myself I would only be buying 2 cupcakes for my sister and none for myself. (As if!) But the inevitable had to happen and as soon as I laid my eyes on the mini cup cakes. Tiny things are cute and being the ultimate girly girl it catches my attention quick. Moreover, I would rather have a little of all that is on my platter rather than having 1 whole. I get to try different things that way and that is what my ultimate aim is at the end of the day. 

In contrary to most Confectioneries this place is done up in black and it still does not look misplaced. Probably because of the splashes of bright colors in between and well all the desserts are distracting enough. Why would you care about anything else?!!

The one thing I particularly liked about the staff here was the way the manager went into detail to explain the difference between Two Chocolate Cupcakes - The Truffle and the Belgian. They looked similar to me, so I asked one of the staff members what is the difference , not altogether serious but the manager came to the rescue of the staff and immediately started off with what are the difference in flavors and helped me decide which one I would like to opt for. So bonus points for that.

Coming to what I ordered on the day, since I had received strict orders for red-velvet and anything chocolate, I went for red velvet and the Belgian One, because it had more dark chocolate in it and my sister is bonkers about that and me out of weakness ordered 6 mini cupcakes - the flavors were - The chocolate Truffle, The Red Velvet, The Blue Velvet, The Rain Bow, Cookies & Cream and Simply Chocolate (Or something like that). Even though all of them were just as good, since the blue velvet was something new, I would vote for that. Also I have a soft corner for the Rainbow cake which was all pink & purple and had just the right amount of sweetness as I prefer. Also, the Cookies & Cream were extra-ordinary as the cookies and cream could be felt in the cake as well and not just the icing, how I had assumed it would be. So these 3 were my top choices for the day.

So ruin your perfect diet plan by going on a little guilt trip. Preferable on your cheat day like my sister does. (She is a fitness Junkie with a soft corner for food. The forever battle between loving food and staying thin!) 

WHAT WE HAD - Big Belgian Chocolate Cupcake (Loving it!)

Red Velvet with Cream Cheese Frosting (Loving it!)

Set of 6 mini cupcakes 

1. Chocolate Truffle (Yum! My niece says.)

2. Red Velvet (Velvety My nephew says!)

3. The Blue Velvet (I say Yum!)

4. The Rainbow ( So Pretty and so Yummy I say)

5. Cookies & Cream (Heavenly!)

6. Simply Chocolate (Yum's the Word!)

DAMAGES - Rs 300/- (Approx)

WHERE - Guilt Trip, 5, Shripal Comple CHS, Open House, Panch Pakhadi (Thane West)

THE APPETITE MOMOS, MUMBAI

This is my favorite place for momos or dumplings, whatever you want to call it in the city. This does not have a fancy set up, and isn't some fin-dine either. It just a small take out place that is located in Thane. The main attraction is that they come cheap, really really cheap and serves the need for after office/college snacks for public of Thane. Me among those. This place was introduced to me by my colleagues almost 8 months back and there has been no stopping me since then. Since it is so closely located near the station, it tends to get crowded, because where else will you find some yummy dumplings at such prices? The answer is almost no where. 

Even though the place is more or less a take-away or stand and eat, it attracts crowd like honey attracts bees and you will be lucky if you get to the front of the crowd to place your order and after that a place to stand and eat. All the momos are served piping hot. So be ready to get your tongues burnt, but then what are momos if they are not served hot. They lose flavor otherwise I believe. One end of the wall has a comic strip telling you of the story of how Appetite came into existence. I have never been able to actually read it, well, again, too many people surrounding the entire place to get a look even. Some Lucky Day, I will. I love stories you see.

The place serves both steamed and fried variants. The menu is made up of the simple classic versions and adding some twists by Indianizing the momos with the likes of Paneer & Chicken Achari. They also have Cheese variants, which without a doubt is my favorite. - Koi doubt mat rakhna! (Ref: Geet, Jab We Met). That strong feelings for the cheese one! :D However, even though I like them all, I prefer the Steamed Ones more as compared to the Fried ones. Only the cheese one,always, always , always have it fried! The cheese melts in such a spectacular way then and the cheese bursts in your mouth, which is how cheese is supposed to be. Half plate consists of 4 pieces which is ample for 1 person as a in-between heavy snack. Yes, they tend to be heavy as well. Atleast, I find so. If your appetite is bigger, then a light snack.

The momos are priced between 50 - 70 Rs per plate depending on what you order. Told ya its Cheap! 65 rs for 8 pieces of chili cheese fried momos. What else do you want????!!!!

WHAT WE HAD - On the specific day

1. Chili Cheese Fried Momos- Veg (1/2 Plate) 

2. Simply chicken - Steamed (1/2 Plate)

3. Paneer Achari - Steamed (1/2 Plate)

DAMAGES - Around 110/- Rs (Approx)

WHERE - The Appetite Momos ,Opp. Thane Railway Station, Vaman Hari Pethe Road, Dada Patil Wadi, Naupada, Thane (W)

D'CREPE CAFE, MUMBAI

I am glad I hunted this place out. Because this is one of the hidden gems that Mumbai has to offer. I had to find a place that was economical enough and at the same time had deliciousness to offer and was not a fast-food chain to treat my friends to. I am not going to go to Mc Donalds/KFC/Dominoes and the likes for my B'day. I do like these places and visit them quite often. But it is my B'day!! Turned out to be quite a task as I had to hunt for a place which was located in the nearby areas to my office to make it convenient for everyone. With so many conditions I really thought I would end up going to MC Donalds. Until after much research on the internet, I came across this placed called D'Crepe Cafe. The reviews were good, the food looked good, the place also looked good, The pricing was damn good and it was actually located in Thane! I was like there has to be a catch somewhere, probably I would feel disappointed after coming down here. So I had prepared myself and told my friends about it. None of them had ever heard of it either and placed their trust me. So I hoped against hope that this place turns out to be exactly what the reviews said it were.

When the day to go arrived. I actually felt maybe its a bad idea and just go to the Pizza Hut located right next door. But in my heart I wanted to go here, and so we did. This place is difficult to locate as its not in plain sight and is rather hidden behind the palace in the Hiranandani Meadows. We were searching for a good half an hour and I thought my friends would be cursing me by now and were just about to give up when this place appeared. So happy we indeed were, that now we could finally rest and no need to get drenched in the rains anymore. But to our disappointment, the place seemed full. Disheartened, but with a little hope asked the manager if something could be arranged and I have got to tell you that the service here, though a little on the slower side, all the servers are very attentive and welcoming. 

Lucky for me we got the exact spot that I had wanted when I had gone through the photos of the place. And from this point on everything went extremely well. And I could finally see that all the efforts were bearing fruits because even my friends finally seemed to settle down and looked happy with the place. What a sigh of relief it was.

The walls are done up in shades of yellow, which brightens up the entire place with one wall having notes pinned to the wall( I loved this idea!) and it attraction to the place. Another wall, had books lined up and some good titles at that ( even though we were too busy talking and making merry, this is another fantastic idea if you want to spend some me time). 

Lets talk about the food now. Like finally :P . There are so many delicacies displayed including cupcakes, assorted pastries etc and it all looks so mouth-watering. Since the place is named after crepe, we decided to first go with the crepes. We ordered the savoury kind and I have got to say that each was distinctive in taste and downright yummy. The cheesy french fries was generously topped with cheese and so was the pizza ( I should tell you even Pizza Hut doesn't have such cheesy pizzas). We then ordered for some Pasta which was a little less on salt ( or so we felt) but add a little extra salt and its perfection. The garlic breads were good to go too. Over-all it was a pretty cheesy day and why would anyone complain for that. Coming to desserts, they didn't just look good but tasted good. The desserts were courtesy my friends in order to celebrate my b'day (Happy Happy me ^_^ ). They actually took care to order a cheese cake too since they know how in love I am with them. 

I should say me and my girls, we are still hung over this place as everybody keeps talking about and can still feel the taste lingering on our tongues and thats all we talk about. When do we go back? Soon I say!!

WHAT WE HAD - Caprese Crepe (Out of this World)

                         Indian Summer (Yummyliciousness)

                         China Tang ( Double the Yummyliciousness)

                         Margharita Pizza ( So cheesy, and so yummy)

                         Cheesy Frenchfries (Yummyliciousness)

                         Pesto Pasta ( High on Yumminess)

                         Garlic Bread with cheese

                         Red Velvet Cupcake (Yum! to the power of 10)

                         Chocolate Cupcake ( Dose of Yumminess)

                         Cheese Cake - ( You will get high on the cheese)

DAMAGES - Rs 1500 Approx

WHERE - D'Crêpes Café 21/22, Block 1, Emerald Plaza, Hirandani Meadows, Off Pokhran Road 2, Thane (W), Mumbai.

JUGHEADS, MUMBAI

I cringe at the thought of saying anything remotely bad about anyone and if by chance I do, I regret it the next minute and think, I might be too quick to judge or maybe there is more to the story and I might have made a mistake somewhere. but some times you just can't do anything about it and you have got to say what you have got to say, which here is, if you are a foodie like me, then this place is not for you especially when you don't exactly booze. 

I have been told time and again that the place is for people who like to drink and just get the evening pass by. I don't belong to that category. I am there solely for the food and the best of pubs, lounges etc do serve good food and to me there is no excuse for well, not-good food. (See, there also I can't say that well, they are bad)

I don't know if they were trying to reinvent the food in their own style or not, but it did indeed fail. Everything just felt a little off. I was so looking forward to the chicken wings bu was disappointed as it felt more like chicken wings masala than the way chicken wings are supposed to be. The same goes for the pan fried steak. Pan fried means Pan fried, not Beef steak Masala and that is what it tasted like. Also, the masala seemed very much similar in the bbq wings and the steak. I still let go and was like no one could go wrong with pizza, there again wrong I was. It felt like the same masala had become the base for the pizza. If that wern't enough, I couldn't understand what flavor where they trying to give to the pasta. All I know was it tasted weird. Even the bread served with the pasta felt stale, dry and devoid of taste. I actually hardly touch the pasta and asked for a take-away thinking I might want to have it later. Big mistake. Withing 2 hours when I reached home, a stale smell started leeking out of the plastic. So it actually gives me doubts if any of the food was remotely fresh.

I would bring this to the management's notice but the management seemed hardly interested in even serving us as he seemed totally engrossed in serving a bunch of college going girls besides us ( Makes me wonder have i grown old or maybe because I had company :P ). Interesting point was that the girl and me both were there to celebrate our b'days ;) . 

The most important part, the management should change the name from JUGHEAD's. Why? Do you Know Jughead? If you are familiar with the comics Archies, you would know the one and only die-hard foodie in it, JUGHEAD. To name a place after him is practically an insult to him because Jughead would never approve of this place. I know it is named after him only, because all the character's from the comics can be found on their menu.

The only lesson learned here was I should always listen to my instinct and when I don't, I regret it. So many good places around and for some reason i chose this. I didn't complain (much atleast. Atleast I think so :P) was because I was there more for the company and it was my b'day.

WHAT WE HAD - Chicken Wings 

                           Pan Fried Steak

                           Chicken Meat lover's Pizza

                           Pasta 

                           Margarita

WHERE - Jughead's, Viviana.2nd Floor, Viviana Mall, Thane (W), Mumbai

DAMAGES - Rs 1700 (inclusive of 2 beers)